Confessions of the Heart
by IHeartStories
Summary: What is Odette to do on a rainy day? Play a game of truth and dare with the others, which could very well reveal many of Odette's deepest secrets - like when did she begin to like Derek and amongst many other secrets.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Firstly just let say that I am terribly sorry that I took this story down, I have no idea why, but what I do know is that I have decided to repost the story. I'll also let you know that I am at the moment finding some chapters, which have gone walkies on me. Meaning that I am recovering them and that it may take some time. Anyway I hope you have fun and I'll get back to you.

 **Confessions of the Heart**

Odette was enjoying the sound of laughter springing from the centre of the room. It was a good day to spend time indoors, as the rain had spoiled all outdoor activities. She was sitting comfortably in her favourite armchair by the warm fire, trying to read a good novel about an enchanted Princess and her Prince coming to rescue her. All that the storybook Princess needed was a kiss from her true love and, _poof_ , the spell would be broken. It had been her favourite story to read when she was a child and it was still her favourite today. In a strange way, it is sort of similar to her own story. For, you see, the Princess and the Prince in the story were both betrothed to be married! But, they didn't spend an entire summer hating each others' guts. That was the only difference of which Odette could point out.

When she thought about it, the novel about a sleeping beauty was no longer her favourite. She just read it to keep her mind occupied, despite the fact that there were five others in the room laughing about something. Something she didn't really want to know about.

Odette found it strange that she could relate to the story due to her past.

She felt her lips curve into a smile as she thought about a time in her life when she had once considered her books to be her friends. You see, Odette didn't really have all that many friends when she was growing up. She even sort of considered Derek and Bromley as friends, but that was all back in the day when she was at war with Derek.

She virtually had no friends to play with. All of the girls in her father's court never included Odette in their girly-type games. Odette didn't care. She only began to care when she grew older.

Odette wanted to burst out laughing at the sheer thought of what Derek's face would have looked like – back in the days of hating of each other – if she had told him that she considered him a friend of some sort.

How embarrassing would it have been back then? How Derek would have laughed at the sheer notion of Odette calling _him_ a friend. Luckily, that was all set during a time when Odette believed Derek to be an immature and obnoxious pig of a Prince.

So, Odette had found her friends in the novels she read.

She gave her head a slight shake so all of her lonely memories could disappear into the rain.

But, how was she supposed to find peace and quiet when she was surrounded by laughter?

She closed her book to see what could possibly be so funny.

Sitting in a circle, Derek, Bromley, Puffin, Speed and Jean-Bob chatted and laughed amongst themselves. Odette had been in the room first until the others had invaded her peace. She couldn't find it within herself to tell them off and ask them to be quiet so she could read in peace. There was something about the camaraderie which put a stop to the words that were threatening to spill.

All it took was a smile and a peck on her cheek from Derek to put a stop to her words flowing from her mouth.

So, Derek and the others took all of the cushions, minus the ones which Odette was using, of course, and piled them on the floor. They created a small semi-circle by the fire. Derek placed his cushion by Odette's armchair so he could be close to her. The others just copied Derek's movements. So began the musical laughter and the excited whispers among them.

Little did Odette know that a game of truth or dare was about to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

As much as Odette would have loved to continue reading her book, her eyes had become glued to the sight in front of her. She smiled at the scene. She cared for each and every one of them in her own special way. It was because of the way she cared for them that she couldn't find it in her heart to ask them to be quiet.

Odette leaned forward to place one of her hands upon Derek's shoulder. She felt one of Derek's hands cover hers, giving it a loving squeeze. Her book now forgotten and abandoned, Odette had become too enthralled by the scene unfolding in front of her very eyes to concentrate on the pages of her novel.

She smiled to herself as she remembered a time when Derek would have been repulsed by her touch. Now, he was anything but repulsed.

The two had come a long way to be where they were now and Odette would not have it any other way. She could not ask to go back in time for anything - except maybe to have the chance to give her father a proper goodbye. That would be just about the only thing that Odette would ever ask of time.

It was her love for Derek and her new found friends - Jean-Bob, Speed, and Puffin - that had given Odette the strength to move on.

Jean-Bob's voice cracked its way through Odette's thoughts. "I'm so bored!"

His outcry caused Odette to run her free hand through her fair tresses and down her face. How could she have lost herself inside her melancholic mind like that? She should have more control.

"I'm Derek. So nice to finally meet you, Bored," Derek said to Jean-Bob in an equally bored tone.

It had become clear to Odette that Derek, Jean-Bob, and the others were uninterested with their small talk.

"That wasn't very nice," Jean-Bob said with a huff. "Odette, tell that Prince of yours to be nice!"

"That's just Derek's way of saying that he is bored as well," Odette kindly replied, earning a mock glare from Derek in return.

"Well then," Derek began, clearly looking for something appropriate to say in response. "We ought to find a way to amuse ourselves then."

He turned his head around the room to gauge the reactions of others, and then stopped as glanced over his shoulder to get a better view of Odette.

"Why don't we play a game?" Brom asked. "You know, like the ones that we used to play as children?"

"I know the ones you are talking about, Brom," Derek said with a wicked smirk. He directed the evil in his expression at both Brom and Odette.

It was because of that particular smirk that Odette cried, "Oh no!" Of course, it caused everyone to stare at her.

"What's the 'oh no' for, Odette?" Speed asked.

"I say 'oh no' because of all of the mischief that Derek, Brom and I, all of those years ago, got ourselves into. And some the games that we played ended in bloodshed and tears."

"They weren't all that bad though," Derek said, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "It depends on which games you are remembering, Odette."

The only thing, besides stare at Derek incredulously, that Odette could do before she dug herself further down memory lane was say, "I think that I'll return to my book, now, while you five find something to amuse yourselves with." She added force to the statement by picking up her book and flipping through the pages she had read.

Derek's hand unwillingly let go, his fingers lingering against hers. Odette paused. She found Derek watching her with that smirk again, the one that caused her to groan internally. She knew that grin all too well and, abandoning the idea of reading her book, she braced herself for whatever it was that Derek had planned for them.

"How about we play a game of truth or dare?" Derek asked to no one in particular. His eyes still focused upon Odette's, his back half-facing the rest.

"That sounds like a great idea! Let us all behave like common children, shall we?" Jean-Bob quipped sarcastically.

"We were all young once, Jean-Bob," Puffin says with a grin gracing his beak. "Surely you have behaved like a common tadpole once?"

"Royals are far too important to play foolish games!" Jean-Bob snapped rudely, stopping Puffin from responding. "A Prince like myself should nev-"

"You still see yourself as a Prince, Jean-Bob?" Speed joked with a roll of his eyes.

Derek almost had to yell to cease an all too familiar argument. "Anyway! Let us all play truth or dare."

"So," Odette said to Derek, her eyes drinking in his handsome image. "Does that mean that everyone must participate, does it?" One of her eyebrows rose cynically.

"You don't have to play if you don't want to, Odette," Derek said. "But, yes, my word is final to all that are present in the room."

Odette just scoffed playfully at what Derek had just said. Her mind momentarily slipped elsewhere, and then she realised what she was doing and forced herself to return to the present. It was lovely on Derek's behalf to not force her to participate in a game of truth or dare. But, she couldn't deny that she was intrigued by what was surely to come from their game.

Odette had many secrets that were still to be uncovered and she thought it would be very intriguing to see what everyone else had hidden behind their eyes.

"Fine, I'll play." Odette didn't consciously know what had caused her to say that despite the small part of her that jumped up and down in curiosity.

Her childhood had left some rotten emotions behind and some of the blame lay firmly in Derek's court. But, Odette had no reason to blame it all on Derek for that all happened when he was that tender age where couldn't control his actions and words.

She would, though, blame it all on everyone else who had wanted make Odette's childhood a living hell.

"Great! Odette is in." Derek obviously missed the clouds passing through Odette's eyes, otherwise he have wanted to know what was wrong. "So that now means that you are all to play truth or dare."

"Thank you so much for inviting us all to play a game as foolish as truth or dare," Jean-Bob said in a sarcastic tone. Again.

If only Odette had known what she was getting herself into...

If only...


	3. Chapter 3

It had been no more than a few minutes into the game when, once again, the room was filled with mirth. It was the kind of merriment that only friends could share.

Odette had, so far, seen Derek and Brom - the two that had been bold and brave enough to choose dare - perform some of the most idiotic things.

Like, for instance, Odette's dare to walk around the room while acting like a goose. Derek had accepted and just as he was flapping his arms like a goose, poor Rogers walked into the room. Rogers was smart enough to remove himself from the chamber almost immediately. But, he did not leave without giving a smart comment about how incorrect Derek's goose-like behaviour was.

There had been many other hilarious stunts, which Derek had humbly performed, and there was sure to be many more bouts of laughter.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, Odette had found herself joining the others on the floor, her arms automatically embracing one of Derek's. That is, only when he wasn't doing something silly with his arms. Derek, being the loving husband that he was, took the cushions from Odette's armchair and placed them on the floor so that Odette didn't have to endure the cold hard floor.

There was a brief moment of thinking, on Odette's part, about not wanting the moment to go waste so that she could sit by Derek's side for all eternity.

"Derek?" Brom asked his friend in a smug tone.

Once again, Odette was forced to mentally bring herself back to reality. A part of her wished to stay in fantasy land, where it was only Derek and herself. Was that too much for a girl to ask?

"What is this? Pick on Prince Derek day?!" Derek quipped hotly. He threw his arms up in the air in exasperation, almost hitting Odette in the process. "First you dared me to act like goose and I am not going to name all of the other things you've made me do."

"Uhm, Derek," Odette said in the hope of calming Derek down. "Tell me if I am wrong -"

"Can we just get on with the game?" Jean-Bob snapped, his sleazy French accent laced with sarcasm and boredom. "Forgive me, Odette. But, I just want to get this game over and done with."

"That's alright Jean-Bob," Odette said to Jean-Bob, trying to make herself more comfortable. She slightly cursed herself for being the only girl in the group.

"Brom? Weren't you going to ask Derek something?" Odette wanted to see what it was that Brom wanted Derek to do or say.

Feeling Derek's eyes wickedly burning through the side of her head, Odette was wise enough not to turn and look at him. She knew her smirk would drive Derek even more insane then what he already was.

"Yes, Brom, what is it that you would like to ask me?" Derek asked mischievously, though Odette could feel his eyes still boring into her skull.

"Truth or Dare?" Brom asked in an equally playful tone.

She turned her head slightly to the side so she could watch Derek ponder. She thought it was rather simple to do; all he had to do was say either truth or dare. How long would he take?

Odette smiled to herself as the thinking wheels continued to click their way through Derek's hesitant mind.

Just when she thought Derek's thinking was going to continue on forever, he spoke and Odette was surprised by his decision.

"Truth!" Derek said, a wicked smirk playing on his kissable lips. Well, to Odette they were kissable and hard to resist.

Brom had a turn at acting like thinking was hard work.

"True or false: were you ever jealous of the castle guards and young lords that Odette flirted with?" he asked, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. "Back in the day, of course."

Her attention had become fully focused on Derek, as if to silently say that she was curious as to what he might say. True, Odette had noticed him acting strangely a few times when they were at war with one another. She had been intrigued at the time, but she had never really thought more about it. Until now.

Odette wasn't the only one intrigued by what Derek had to say for himself; Brom noticeably leaned forward as if to hear a precious secret.

"Now that is an interesting question, Brom," Odette said, her eyes still solely focused on the man sitting beside her. "So, go on. Tell us, Derek."

There was something about the way Derek glanced at her that caused Odette's curiosity to burn. She was fully aware of that one day when they had kissed for the first time, back when she was about sixteen. But, that was during a time which Derek had no desire to speak about.

Could it be that Derek began to take notice of her all those years ago and not during that catastrophic summer two years ago?

Could it be?

Derek's silence stretched on, slowly killing the laughter in the room. Even the crackling of the fire became quieter as though it, too, was waiting for Derek to fess up.

Odette couldn't take Derek's silence anymore; she wanted to know exactly how he felt all those years ago. In return, she may just tell Derek that she had always liked him, that he had just made it difficult for her to admit.

"Derek? Hello... Anyone in there?" Odette waved her hand in front of Derek's face, hoping to draw some life back into that faraway look of his.

He grabbed hold of the hand Odette was waving, turning his head to her so she would see every word he said. She scarcely needed to hear it from Derek's mouth, though. His eyes said it all.

"Yes, it's true," Derek finally confessed. "I just didn't recognise what it was that I was suffering from."

Her eyes felt like they could drown within Derek's very soul now that he had bared it for all to see. Still, Odette chose to linger. She felt her heart, mind and soul quake the moment Derek closed his eyes. He looked as though he was trying to block any source of light from the tunnels to his soul.

"Derek," Odette heard uncertainty intertwining with her voice as she spoke his name out loud. Her hand, free from Derek's own, rested upon his closest forearm. "Would it make you feel any better if I were to tell you that I began to take notice of you seven years ago?"

Derek's silence would kill all of their fun if he didn't make a sound soon, she thought. It had been seven years since Odette had seen Derek act like that and that was during the time when a tall, dark stranger caused havoc in their already dramatic lives.

"Wait, wasn't that when...?" Brom began to ask, breaking off when Derek glared at him.

"Can you guys just give us a few minutes?" Odette addressed everyone, minus Derek.

Perhaps it was time to speak of that summer, Odette thought, when she began to realise that Derek wasn't at all that bad. The one when she discovered that there were much worse men then he.

She did not bother to listen to what the others were grumbling about, Jean-Bob protesting the loudest of them all. Her main focus was still lingering on the man she loved, the one she wanted to spend a lifetime with.

She wanted to break the silence the moment the door clicked shut, but the words wouldn't come out.

What does one say in a situation like this?


	4. Chapter 4

Time seemed to have ceased, as though it knew the pair were waiting for a secret to see the light of day. The sound of the rain pelting against the glass of the windows, the crackling fire, the wind waging war with the windows, and the sound of a small beetle scuttling across the floor towards the fire, were just about the only sounds seeping through the silence.

How long had they sat there on the floor? Odette was not able to tell. It felt like it had been hours since they last talked.

Somehow, Odette found the words that needed to be said seven years ago. "It has been seven years since I last witnessed you acting like this," she began to say to him, her words making her feel more and more confident. "There is no need for you to feel ashamed of yourself. Just because you had admitted to be jealous of the castle guards... and what young lords?"

"Do you not remember him, Odette?" Derek put so much venom into the word 'him' that it became clear to Odette that he had never truly gotten over the fiasco with Ulric.

"Of course I remember him!" Odette snapped. "But, as I recall. I was a silly sixteen year old who was beginning to notice boys. Ulric took notice of that and used my innocence against me."

"Ulric -"

"Is no longer a part of our lives! He is in our past, which is where he should be put to rest." Odette never liked it when they argued, even back when they had been at war with one another. "You told him where to go and he has never bothered us again. Though, we did have him fooled, at one stage, during that summer..."

She would have liked to carry on talking, but she wanted to give Derek a chance to contribute.

"So," Derek said, "you started to like me during the summer we shared our first kiss?"

Odette couldn't stop herself from smiling when she said, "Surprised?"

The smile on Derek's face said it all for her. There was no need for words to be said between them, not when Odette could read everything flashing through his azure-blue eyes. Those mesmerising eyes that were suddenly enhanced by his charming smile.

"I believe you already know my answer to that, Odette," Derek said happily. "You are right, like you always are. Ulric belongs in the past and I, personally, believe that we ought to thank Ulric. For, if it wasn't for him, I would never have known what it would truly mean to be jealous of you."

"But, weren't you-?" whatever it was that Odette tried to say was lost the moment Derek kissed her on the lips.

No matter how many times they kissed, Odette was always left breathless. With her hands intertwined in his chestnut-coloured hair, his own mimicking hers, she broke away so she could retrieve the air that Derek had stolen from her lungs.

"What was that for?" She asked with a smile.

"Does a man truly need to have a reason to kiss his wife?" Derek smirked back at her. His face soon became plastered with seriousness. "I just don't like it when we argue about something so trifling as the past."

"The past will always have a way of sneaking its way back into our lives," Odette replied. "Do you wish to continue playing truth or dare with Brom and that?"

"There is a part of me that wishes to be spend the rest of my day with you, and yet there is another side of me wanting to continue on playing," Derek said to her as they began to pull, regrettably, away from each other. "What about you, Odette? Forget about what I want, or what the others want, for a moment. I will do anything you so desire."

Odette felt tears of happiness threatening to fall, poised and ready to roll over her features. "I want to spend my day with you," she managed to say.

Her heart was full of gratitude knowing that there would never be another man who could ever make her feel this way. That was what made Derek unique in her eyes.

"Then that is what we will do," Derek said.

He closed the gap between them and, once again, Odette caved into her emotions. But, then, she paused momentarily.

"Derek, do you not believe that we ought to bolt the door shut?" she said wryly, remembering a time during that summer, seven years ago, when she accidentally ran into Derek's bedchambers and found him half naked.

"Nah, it'll teach them a lesson about knocking," Derek smirked. "You were lucky that I was wearing pants -"

"Lucky? I was almost blinded for the entire day, all the while trying to get away from Ulric's shadow," Odette playfully retorted.

"Ah, come on, you enjoyed the view," Derek said. "And correct me I if I am wrong, but weren't you the one that broke Ulric's nose and caused him to hobble about after you kneed him in his privates?

Not bothering to say something in return, she leaned forward to find Derek returning her kiss. It was almost like magic. All of the day's troubles vanished at that moment.

Who'd want to read a book about enchanted princess, or play a game, when you could spend the rest of the day with the one you love the most?

Odette wanted to spend a lifetime loving Derek, the man who had stolen her heart long ago. There was no need for them to discuss anything, not out loud. They could just as easily say it all by gazing into each others' eyes.

Who knows what the future holds for them?

Who knows...?


	5. Chapter 5

Derek had not originally planned on coming inside the chamber, which was connected to his and Odette's bedchamber, to play a game of truth or dare. Nor did he plan on having any sort of company follow him. But, that is what had happened.

All that Derek had wanted to do was spend some quality time alone with his darling Odette. It was very difficult to lead a Kingdom knowing he had to sacrifice many things loved to do, or even say, to his beloved. Sometimes, he needed a break.

The love Derek had for her was so powerful and he knew in his heart that he could never love anyone else that way. He loved her more than anything else in this world. He had already – well, nearly - lost Odette three times thanks to the Forbidden Arts and its wielders. Though it had been his mistakes that had nearly cost him Odette, it didn't stop her from loving him back.

He gave his head an internal shake so that he could apply his full concentration on the game – even though there was now a part of him wanting to know why Odette had began to pull herself away from him earlier when they had finished discussing Ulric.

Many words flashed their way through Odette's beautiful eyes and Derek immediately wanted to chase them away. He never liked seeing Odette unhappy about anything. Whenever he did see it, he felt as though there was nothing that he could do, or say, to her. The only thing that he could do was be there for her and chase away the demons that made his beloved unhappy – even if they were there because of him.

Perhaps all he had to do was wait for tonight when he and Odette would be alone in their chambers. Then, and possibly only then, would he be able to soothe her properly.

"Odette?" Jean-Bob asked Odette, using a tone which Derek found to be irritating. "Truth or dare?"

No one had really offered Odette the chance to do a dare or confess a truth yet, despite the fact that she had already dared them all to do something goofy.

Derek did not want think about Odette daring him to act like a goose - that was one of the most embarrassing challenges of them all.

He felt the beginnings of a smirk toying with his lips as he turned his head to watch Odette. Her beautiful aura, which she alone possessed with eloquence and dignity, radiated as she sat and thought about what to do.

Derek remembered when they were young and how Odette had always chosen truth. Once in a while, though, she'd challenged herself to do a dare. That competitive streak of hers never faulted.

"Dare," Odette said with a smile, the spark in her eyes suddenly coming alive.

Derek turned to focus his attention on Jean-Bob, all the while giving Odette a loving squeeze. The French frog had wicked smirk on his amphibious lips.

It had taken Derek a fair while to accept Jean-Bob as a friend, and he was only so persistent because it made Odette happy. He had instantly liked Speed and Puffin, but it was just difficult to get past Jean-Bob's French accent and his affection for Odette. Of course, his affection turned into nothing more pure friendship, and Derek was forever grateful for that. It was difficult to fully explain the exact reasons why he hadn't liked Jean-Bob at first and it was even more difficult to explain why he had eventually accepted Jean-Bob into his inner-circle of friends.

The moment Jean-Bob's voice broke the silence, Derek mentally smacked himself in the face at hearing the obnoxious sound.

"This dare is to be directed at both you and Derek." Jean-Bob winked wryly.

His wicked smirk grew more devilish by the minute, causing Derek to ponder the possibilities of what would come.

"I dare you to play the remainder of the game without touching each other. So, that means no smooching -"

"I think we all get the no touching part," Derek snapped.

A light squeeze from Odette's petite hand made Derek stop talking. He wanted to see what Odette would decide to do.

To spend the rest of the game without having any kind of physical contact would be utter torture and it was all up to Odette whether or not to accept Jean-Bob's cruel dare.

Derek heard Brom begin to snicker. Did he find the dare funny, when it was clearly not even remotely amusing? Derek mentally cursed Jean-Bob for wanting to make them do such a foolish dare.

He could not believe his ears the moment he heard Odette say, "it's a deal".

How could she have agreed to it?

Odette, regrettably, let go of Derek's hand, moving slightly away from him so that their hips were no longer touching. Not truly believing that she could, nor liking the idea of stepping away from him, she took a calming breath in.

This dare of Jean-Bob's would, no doubt, torture them both endlessly. That is, until someone decides to put an end to the game. It would not surprise Odette at all if Derek would be the one to conclude the game.

Well, she reasoned, he was the one who started it. He was the one who wanted to play the childish game, so he could deal with the consequences.

Who knows, maybe the dare would test them both? It could teach them how long they could bear not touching each other. Whenever Derek was near her, Odette just had to have her hand upon his, or her lips against his. It was as essential as breathing.

The dare would test Derek's endurance, that was for sure. Odette knew, without a hint of doubt, that she would pay for accepting the dare later on tonight.

Daring to exchange a quick glance with Derek, Odette saw him pout unappreciatively. That caused her to stop herself from wanting to kiss that pout away.

Oh, yes, she would pay.

She would definitely enjoy every bit of Derek's loving caresses tonight, when they would be alone. That is, if he can hold it in until everyone leaves the chamber.

All that Odette could do was wait and smirk.


	6. Chapter 6

Odette wanted to laugh out loud at the comical expression spreading its way across Derek's handsome face. He would always be handsome in her eyes, and it wasn't just because of what he presented on the outside. It was also what was hidden beneath that masculine chest of his. What lay inside a man was what was truly important to her. She'd love him even if he was fat and ugly because it was his heart which Odette fell in love with in the first place. During their first kiss, Odette had seen the other side of Derek and that was whom she had married herself to.

She knew, now, that Derek didn't just love her for being beautiful. She wondered, though, if he could ever love her if she were ugly.

Cursing herself once again for allowing her mind to drift away, - even if it was to try show her just what it was about Derek that made her love him so - she began to concentrate on fighting of the urge to put an end to Jean-Bob's dare.

Not allowing herself to have any kind of contact with Derek was proving to be a form of torture for Odette. It was even more intolerable knowing that he was in the same room with her and yet out-of-reach. She was fully aware of the fact that Derek, himself, didn't like the idea of separation either, for he had crossed his arms across his chest in a childish, yet comical, manner. He had also crossed his legs in a huff.

She wasn't the only one who didn't like the idea of not being able to hold, or touch, or even peck his lips upon a cheek. She had known that Derek would not have liked it, and that was perhaps one of the many reasons why Odette had agreed to accept Jean-Bob's brave dare. Something in her wanted to tease her husband.

Brom, Puffin, and Speed, all tried very hard not to laugh at the royal couple's expense. That much, Odette was able to read. Jean-Bob, in particular, was still sneakily grinning away as though he had won a great victory.

Sure, a few minutes had ticked away since Jean-Bob's dare had started, but it hadn't lessened the effect of it. It seemed that, once again, silence had come to snuff away all kinds of sounds, as though it, too, wanted to laugh at the royal couple's predicament.

Odette tried to tell herself that she could survive all day without contact with Derek, but she was wrong. At that very moment, her hand itched to retake hold of Derek's, never let go of him again.

But, Odette would keep holding herself back for the remainder of the game. It was just a matter of how much longer Derek could endure the space between them. It would be all up to him to pull the pin and cancel the game before the day was out.

Odette smirked at Derek's childish posture - she had done the very same thing a few minutes ago. In truth, though, she had only done it to restrain herself.

"You're enjoying this just a little too much, Princess," Derek said loudly. His tone caused Odette's lips to widen even further across her face.

She let the smile disappear from her features as quickly as it appeared. "Whose turn is it?" she asked in a straight face, as though she wanted to tease Derek even further by not saying anything directly to him.

"I believe that it is Puffin's turn," Speed answered with a smile.

"I believe that it is, indeed, my turn," Puffin smirked.

Odette tried to focus on Puffin, wondering whom he would decide to pick on next.

"Brom!" Puffin said. "Truth or dare?"

Whatever it was that Puffin had in-store for Brom, it would turn out to be a classic. Of that, Odette had no doubt. Puffin was really good at the game, and he, just like Odette, and now Jean-Bob, knew how to bring out everyone's embarrassing side.

Odette slightly cursed Brom for sitting directly on Derek's left, as her eyes were forced to travel over her husband in order to focus on him. It was pure torture. Even though Jean-Bob had only dared them not to touch each other, Odette felt that it was necessary not to allow her eyes to graze over her love. For, if she did, it would only make her itch fester into something even more unbearable.

Her eyes, of course, did the complete opposite. They just had to meet up with Derek's.

Whenever Odette's eyes connected with his, she always felt a magical pull. The urge to kiss him, to hold him in her arms, and everything else she wanted to do with him, always won.

But... Jean-Bob's dare held her back.

Odette allowed Derek to see her smile, and he graciously returned it.

She had almost forgotten, just for the moment, that Brom was yet to say dare or truth.

This caused her to jerk away and focus on Brom instead. She watched Brom carefully.

"Dare," he replied in a quivering voice.

Whatever did Derek do to Brom? As far as Odette could remember, Brom was once as brave as Derek. Now, all that he did was quiver in fear. Hell, it was Brom that had flung a tomato in her face, not Derek. The latter had merely laughed at his side. For the life of her, Odette didn't understand just how the brave young boy, that once was Brom, could transform into a fearful young man.

Puffin smirked wickedly. "Brom, I dare you to stand up on one leg and hop around the room."

"Hop around the room on one leg? I got it," Brom bravely said as he got up and began to perform the dare Puffin had prepared for him.

But, just as Brom was beginning to hop around the room, Derek had to add some more cheek into the dare. As he did, Odette couldn't help but notice how everyone began to – besides Jean-Bob and herself – butt-in with their own little ideas.

"You want to know something Puffin?" Derek asked with a hint of mischief.

"Please tell me what you know, Derek," Puffin replied with his own mischievously coloured tone.

"Don't you think we ought to add a little bit of excitement? Like, say, have Brom do something a bit more outrageous than just have him hop around the room on one leg?" Derek asked, his eyes alive with impishness.

"And what shall we ask Brom to do?" Puffin asked knowingly.

"I don't know –"

"We could have Brom stand on one leg while holding someth-"

While Derek, Puffin, and even Speed, were throwing ideas around, Odette couldn't help but feel sorry for Brom. Whatever they were planning, it would be a joint effort.

It was Jean-Bob who threw in the winning two-cents. "Why not have Brom stand on one leg while holding Derek in the bridal fashion?"

Not long after Jean-Bob threw his suggestion into the air, everyone - minus Derek and Brom -was enthralled by the idea.

The identical expressions on the men made Odette smile.

"I don't think that is a good idea," Derek said.

Odette couldn't stop herself from voicing her say on the matter of what Brom's dare should or should not to be. "But, you were the one who wanted to have Brom do something a bit more exciting..."

It was very typical of Derek to do something like this and then suddenly try to find a way out - it was what he used to do.

The look Derek gave her said a lot that could not be said out loud. Though Odette had told herself not to look deep into Derek's eyes, knowing that it would be near impossible to refrain herself any longer, she had done it anyway. That was probably why she crossed her arms.

Derek did not know what to say. Yes, he had suggested to Puffin that they ought to have Brom do something a little bit more exciting than hopping around the room, but he hadn't planned on becoming part of the dare. Now they all wanted Brom to pick him up in the bridal style.

How did he even managed to get himself into this mess?

He could always put an end to the game. Besides, who wanted to play inside when the rain had stopped falling and a hint of the setting sun now coloured the horizon?

How nice it would have been to take a walk alongside his dearly beloved in the gardens while enjoying the last light of the sun... Instead, he was going to be carried around like a girl.

On the flipside, though, there were still things he was yet to discover about Odette. Maybe there were some secrets of old yearning to come out, waiting for the right time. Maybe a game of truth or dare was 'the right time'. He longed to discover some more about Odette. He sensed that there were still some things of which he had yet to learn. He may have grown up with her, but there were still some things that he didn't know. He knew, for example, – though he was unsure whether Odette had noticed or not - that she did not have that many friends while growing up. He knew only that much and he wanted to discover some more about his wife.

Earlier, he had taken notice of a dark shadow fleeting across Odette's face as she had read her novel, and he had fought of the urge to throw everyone out then and there and pry the explanation out of her. But, he obviously didn't. He had hoped that the truth would come out on its own, but no one, besides Derek, had been asked to spill a truth. In fact, Jean-Bob had been the only one to truly give Odette something to do and it wasn't something that Derek had been expecting.

Derek realised that he hadn't been paying attention to what was going on. How long had he phased out for? He did not know.

Whatever had been said by the others was lost in the fog of his mind.

Odette, once again, could not stop herself from laughing at the look printed upon Derek's face. Brom sported a very similar one, only it was more comical where Derek was concerned.

Brom had been brave enough to agree to the dare while Derek's mind was swept away to some far away land. Odette couldn't help but feel happy for Brom's ability to find enough courage.

She watched on as Derek wrapped his arms around Brom's neck. He did not agree to be handled in this fashion, especially by his best friend.

Odette heard the mirth spill around the room, her own tangling itself with the rest. All the while, Derek frowned and Brom looked like he would topple over.

Derek knew that it wasn't such a good idea to let Brom carry him. Too bad he had missed his chance to voice his objection while he had been dazed in his thoughts.

He felt the quivers travel their way through what was left of Brom's waning strength. True, Derek had been amazed by Brom being able to pull the stunt off, but he had not expected the brief moment of panic from his friend.

The fall may not have been from a dangerous height but a strained oomph escaped from the lips of the person he landed on. Then he felt the weight of his friend crashing against his back.

It was the soft body, lying vertically beneath his, that told him whom he had just fallen on. When he took more notice, his head had cushioned itself onto a pair of breasts.

So, he lifted up his head and gazed deeply into her eyes.


End file.
